Vicente Emparán facts for kids
Vicente Emparán (1747 – 3 October 1842) was an important Spanish leader. He held the title of Captain General, which was like being a top military and political leader in a Spanish colony.
Early Life and Career
Vicente Emparán was born in 1747 in Azpeitia, a town in the Basque Country in Spain. His father was José Joaquín de Emparan.
From 1792 to 1804, Emparán served as the governor of Cumaná Province. This province was part of the Captaincy General of Venezuela, which was a large Spanish territory in South America. During his time as governor, he became well-liked by the people of Venezuela.
Becoming Captain General
In 1808, Emparán went back to Spain. At this time, Spain was in the middle of a big war called the Peninsular War. The French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte had put his brother, Joseph I, on the Spanish throne.
Joseph I's government chose Emparán to be the new Captain General of Venezuela. However, Emparán did not support Joseph I. Instead, he joined the Supreme Central Junta, which was a group fighting against the French. He promised his loyalty to this Junta and to the true Spanish king, Ferdinand VII, who was being held captive by the French. In January 1809, the Central Junta officially confirmed him as Captain General. He was replacing the previous leader, who had passed away.
Events in Venezuela
Emparán arrived in Venezuela in May 1809. Over the next year, some important people in Venezuela tried to set up their own local government, called a "junta." Emparán managed to stop these attempts, often by talking directly with the people involved.
Even though many people liked him, a big event happened on April 19, 1810. It was Maundy Thursday, a religious holiday, and many people were in the city of Caracas. Members of the city council, called the cabildo, and other important citizens used the large crowd to create a protest.
The crowd stopped Emparán from going to the Cathedral for the day's services. They directed him to the cabildo building. There, he met with an expanded council, known as a cabildo abierto. Emparán spoke to the crowd from a balcony. When he saw how much support there was for a new local government, he decided to step down from his position.
The cabildo then became the Supreme Junta of Caracas. This new group began to manage the affairs of the province.
Later Life
After he was no longer Captain General, Emparán traveled to Philadelphia in the United States. From there, he sent a report to the Spanish government about what happened on April 19. He then returned to Spain. It seems he was put on trial for not stopping the new junta, but he was found innocent.
Vicente Emparán passed away in El Puerto de Santa María, Spain, on October 3, 1842.
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